Hospital Dating Policy
by unjaundiced
Summary: They dated on Kakashi's schedule, the hospital their link to all their pains and their joys. A Kakairu Formspring fill attempt.  hurt/comfort with a bit of fluff


Attempt #2 at a KakaIru Formspring question fill.

**Prompt Question ::** Where was your first date with each other? How did it go? Did you only realize it was a date after it happened?

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**Hospital Dating Policy**

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The first time, it had been Iruka who'd needed the hospitalization. Due to a slip of the lip by a terrified captive, a standard infiltration and retrieval mission had turned pear shaped and ended with Iruka using himself as a human shield in order to protect the hostages. He'd made it back to Konoha on the back of the elite ANBU, Hound, barely conscious and fading fast.

It was the only time he'd broken so spectacularly, his anonymous masked mission captain holding him together with wise words and open ears. He'd spilled his soul, mourning his own bleeding heart and fearing the futures of Konoha's youth. Hound had acted as an intermediary, putting forth a request to Sandaime Hokage to remove him to Konoha Academy full time. Three days later, a newly discharged Umino Iruka met the jounin called Hatake Kakashi for the first time.

The next time, it had been Kakashi that needed the help. Iruka, on the way back from a solo infiltration mission, had run across the jounin caught up in the deep swirling depths of Uchiha Itachi's Mangekyo Sharingan's genjutsu, insensate on the forest floor. That time it had been Kakashi who'd made it back to the hospital on Iruka's back, wholly unconscious and slipping away.

Iruka had visited several times during Kakashi's stay. The first time the jounin had been unresponsive save rapid eye twitches behind closed lids and uncontrollable finger spasms. The man had been strapped to a hospital gurney for fear that he would hurt himself or others. A black smear on the wall marked the only moment he hadn't been; the moment Iruka had admitted him to the hospital and had almost taken a chidori through his shoulder for his efforts.

The next few times Iruka visited, Kakashi had fought for lucidity, drawling demands for his precious books and company. Iruka had soon found himself a regular companion to the severely weakened jounin, going so far as to break into Kakashi's apartment to retrieve his personal items; reading from his favored Icha Icha series when his hands were too weak to hold the book, his eyelid too heavy keep open. He snuck in meals, hiding from the knowing gazes of Sakura and Shizune. He had grudgingly borrowed a video player and watched the newest Icha Icha Paradise movie with the man who had insisted on pointing out his favorite parts — all of them.

All in all, Iruka might have called them friends at that point, the unpleasantness of the Chuunin Exams slithering away like the snake that had upset them all. Jiraiya was back in town and ran everyone over in his typical brash fashion. He and Naruto were on a brief respite to celebrate the obon and a few months of training. Kakashi was mostly healed and now just hiding out in his hospital room so he wouldn't have to actually train the boy. That plan sputtered out like a candle in a bucket once Naruto took it into his head to start staying in the room, claiming training could begin at any moment. The return of Naruto meant Iruka began to keep his distance again.

The time after that ended poorly again. That time Iruka made it halfway back before his trembling legs had given out, fighting weakly as his mission captain, Kakashi, pulled him across his back, the torn and bloodied hitai-ate from the rogue Konoha Root-influenced chuunin clutched tightly in his hand, cutting into the tender flesh of his palm. Kakashi had said nothing as Iruka shook and wet his back with silent tears. He grieved later in his own way as he watched over the slumbering chuunin in the hospital.

The last time, they both made their way to the hospital on their own shaking legs. They met at the shattered entrance, both stunned by the utter devastation and their own experiences with Pain. Iruka didn't know what happened, but one moment he was choking down tears of desperate relief and the next… The next moment Kakashi was holding him so tightly it seemed he was afraid he'd disappear; shaking with laughter, trembling with sobs.

"Next time," Kakashi mumbled damply into Iruka's collar in a voice so quiet he had to hold his breath to hear. "Next time… Let's meet somewhere else. The hospital is a terrible place for a date."

Iruka couldn't help himself. He burst out laughing so loudly it startled a flock of starlings, wrapped his arms around Kakashi and rocked back and forth in relieved elation.


End file.
